


The Girl Who Found Everything She Wanted - For a Little While

by Wolfsong6913



Series: Not the Villain [2]
Category: The Fairyland Series - Catherynne M. Valente
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:40:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23771722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfsong6913/pseuds/Wolfsong6913
Summary: In which a girl named Mallow comes to learn that sometimes, one must do things they had promised to not, and sometimes they can enjoy it as well.
Relationships: Mallow/Map
Series: Not the Villain [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034805
Comments: 10
Kudos: 6





	1. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Why are there almost no stories for this series? These are some incredible books! 
> 
> This was meant to be longer, but I lost track of where I was going. So, enjoy a tiny little mini story about Mallow and Map, two of the characters who intrigue me most, but have the least backstory, Maybe Myrtle will show up sometime if I ever continue.

Words can be funny things. They might build a powerful kingdom, but different words may tear it down overnight. One might say a thing, and mean it completely, but the Words might just get away from you and become a new thing entirely. 

On the third day of the second week in the reign of the Good Queen Mallow, Mallow herself was draped across an upstairs window in the Briary, staring gloomily out across the rooftops of Fairyland. Damask and lace mixed with crumbling stone for as far as the eye could see. Faeries and sprites and imps and goblins danced across the rooftops, the nearer ones occasionally waving at their queen from afar. Mallow did not appear to see them, only sighing and sinking further into her misery. Suddenly, a knock sounded from behind her. Mallow turned.

“Who is it?” she called dully.

“Just a visitor,” a voice called back. “The front door let me in.”

Mallow shot upright so fast she nearly fell over. Scrambling over to the door she flung it open and threw herself into the arms of the man standing behind it. “Map!” she cried, laughing tears of pure delight. “Oh, Map, I can’t believe you’re here!”

“Of course I’m here,” Map grinned, spinning her around in a circle. “You’re the queen! Little Mallow! Queen of Fairyland! Wild velocipedes couldn’t keep me away.” 

Mallow just laughed again, reaching up to rub the wolf-like ears poking out from Map’s dusty brown hair. “I missed you so much,” she murmured, steadying herself against the doorframe as the spinning slowed. “I never wanted to go into Politicks, Map, but now I’m the one who’s got to manage them all. Goldmouth left things in such a terrible mess.”

“Pandemonium’s looking better every day though,” Map said, setting her down and straightening his collar. “I’ve never seen the old girl looking so happy. I’d say you did a right good job, cutting down Goldmouth.”

Mallow sighed, looking suddenly weary again. “It was awful, Map,” she whispered softly. “I never want anything like that to happen again. I… I never want to even think of it ever again!” She covered her face with her hands and shivered.

“Then don’t,” Map reassured her, taking her wrists in both hands and gently pulling them back down to her sides. “What’s the Brairy like? You’ve got to show me around!”

Mallow brightened. “There’s such a lovely garden here,” she said. “I’m sure it has some plants which don’t exist anywhere else in Fairyland! I even found a patch of red-tongue berries the other day!”

They strolled along the viny halls of the Briary together, chatting gaily about the homey village of Winesap, and how the school field trip had gone, and how her ducks were, and other, mundane topics. Mallow pushed open an ornately carved door, and sunlight poured in as they stepped out into the beautiful garden of the Briary. They wandered together for a while, admiring the many plants and fascinating the flora that Fairyland produced for her ruler. At last, they reached the gate leading out to the woolen street. Map stopped, and looked down at Mallow.

“Mallow… I…” he began hesitantly.

“You’ll come back, won’t you?” Mallow interrupted. “It gets so lonely here, ruling all alone.”

“Of course I’ll come back,” Map promised hastily. “And… And as friends,” he added, a little slower.

Mallow paused. “Friends?”

“Well… Yes. You always said you did not want to marry a Fairy boy. And I am of Fairyland. So I just wanted to reassure you..”

Mallow stared up at him for a long moment, then, screwing up her courage, she reached up and pulled him down into a brief kiss. Her face was bright red when she pulled away, but she met his eyes with all the determination she’d had when she cut down Goldmouth. 

“I never wanted to meddle in Politicks either,” she pointed out. “I think I could break a few more promises too.”


	2. Unexpected Guests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Mallow receives an unexpected guest from an old friend, is given a gift, and arranges a tea party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter exists thanks to kallooh! I would not have been inspired to think up more ideas for this story had they not commented telling me they were waiting for more. I even had enough ideas for at least two more chapters (you can see the chapter count has been updated) so stay alert for at least one more after this.

Mallow, newly appointed Queen of Fairyland and all her kingdoms, was prepared for a great many Wonderful and Magical things to happen each and every day. She was not yet, however, prepared for the Green Wind to come blowing in through her door like a fresh and powerful storm on his Leopard.

“Mab - Green!” she cried, leaping up from her chair to throw her arms about his neck. “What are you doing here? Don’t the winds all live up in Westerly?”

“Ah, but even Pandemonium must get a little storm once in a while, my dear Mallow,” Green chuckled. “Or should I say, Your Majesty.” He swept his hat into a low bow. 

“Please, Green, just call me Mallow,” Mallow said firmly. “Titles don’t suit me well.”

“No, you’re far too practical for that sort of rigamarole,” Green agreed solemnly. 

Mallow eyed him cautiously, trying to see if he was making fun of her.

Beside him, Imogen the Leopard stretched her great front paws. “Don’t tease the poor girl,” she growled sternly. “Mallow, Green here has brought a present for you.”

Mallow blinked. “A present? For me?”

“Who else?” Green grinned, then became truly serious again. “For the girl who cut down King Goldmouth, and sewed up all of Pandemonium, I would bring all the gifts Fairyland has to offer.”

Mallow blushed. “I haven’t gotten to all of Pandemonium yet,” she said. “Just the Market and the Square. There’s still so much left to do.”

“Regardless!” Green clapped his hands, suddenly beaming. “For what you have done, and what you are planning to do, I have brought you a book! The finest book I have encountered in my rather long life.”

Mallow brightened at his words. Books were Mallow’s currency, her way of navigating the world. “What sort of book?” she asked.

Green grinned at her conspiratorially. “A reference book!” He pulled a heavy, leather bound volume from his coat, and held it out towards Mallow.

Mallow frowned. “A reference book? That hardly sounds exciting.” She accepted the book from Green’s hands and flipped through it. “All the pages are blank! Green, this isn’t another one of your tricks again, is it?”

Green bellowed with laughter. “Hardly, my dear Mallow! It’s a magical reference book. You just ask it a question, and it will turn into a copy of the book most suited to help you discover the answer.”

“Oh!” Mallow looked at the book with new interest. “Thank you, Green!”

“Anything for the girl who fought with my Jenny,” Green said, smiling softly at her. 

Mallow smiled, and hugged Green again, careful not to crush the book between them. “This will be wonderfully helpful for learning Wet Magic, and Questing Physiks, and the other Magics I’ve been trying to learn,” she said. “The libraries are just as much of a mess as the rest of the city right now, and I’ve had a dreadfully hard time finding anything to read.”

“Well that certainly won’t do,” Green chuckled. “I am honored to have been of service.”

“Would you like to stay for tea?” Mallow asked, stepping back and setting the book carefully down on a table beside her. “I was just about to sit down with… with a guest.” She colored slightly as she fumbled over her words, and the smile slowly spreading across Green’s face did nothing to help her. 

“I would be most honored to have tea with you and your _guest_ ,” he said formally, though the effect was ruined as he winked suggestively on the last word. “Who ever could be so important as to take tea with the queen herself?”

Mallow felt her face burn, and she forced a stern expression onto her face. _A queen must learn to be stern,_ she reminded herself. “Green, please do… behave yourself.” she finished vaguely. Being a queen was hard work.

“When do I not?” Green grinned like the imp he was, and Mallow sighed a little before turning towards the doors leading out towards the veranda.

Map was sitting at the table already, turning his worn hat over in his hands, and poking his fingers through the holes for his ears. His face lit up when he saw Mallow entering, and she hastened to be the first to speak.

“Green, this is Mr. Map, one of my teachers from Winesap, and… and that’s it. For now. Um, Map, this is the Green Wind and his Leopard.”

“Not mine,” Green corrected, chuckling. “A cat will do wherever it wants, after all.”

As if to prove this point, Imogen slipped soundlessly past Mallow and spread herself out on the sunlit railing overlooking the gardens. 

“Ah,” Map said, standing and hastily shoving his hat back onto his head, so that his ears were squashed underneath. “Lovely to meet you, Mr. Green and um… Leopard.”

Map and the Green Wind shook hands, then stood staring at each other with the air of men who did not know how to behave around a fellow being. 

Mallow clapped her hands briskly together.

“Shall we have tea now?” she asked.


	3. A Brief Tea Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The brief conclusion to the tea party.

They all sat down together around the table, which promptly produced a splendid spread of every pastry, fruit, and tea imaginable to all the Fairy, human, Wind, and feline minds present. 

After a couple of minutes, the polite, inane conversation of “could you please pass the butter?” and “more milk, please,” died down. Mallow sipped her tea, feeling pleasantly at ease with these familiar, friendly faces in her still-strange new home. Moving is a difficult experience for anyone, and it is generally made much more so with the addition of ruling a kingdom, restoring an entire city, and dealing with a while new sort of relationship on the side. 

“Well, “ Green said, after several minutes of silent chewing had gone by. “How goes the old city, Your Majesty?” He winked garishly at Mallow.

“Mallow, please,” Mallow sighed. “And… well, I’m not sure. I’ve never taken care of anything this big before. Nor used cloth for this purpose! What if I fix up a bank with linen, and it wears through, or tears?”

“Then I suppose you stitch it up again,” Map suggested quietly. 

“I guess,” Mallow frowned at the tablecloth, and rested her chin in one hand. “But what if some ruffian comes into the city and tears it on purpose? What am I supposed to do about them? I’ve never had much experience with being the authority before either,” she added miserably. 

Poor Mallow! It is hard indeed to suddenly assume a position with so many responsibilities and power, when all you wanted to do was live a quiet life with your stove and your ducks. Luckily for her, I am a kind narrator - I have given her many friends to help walk through those tough decisions. You are never alone when you have a good friend. Let us listen and see how they help her. 

“Perhaps you could come up with some way to keep track of everyone who comes though?” The Green Wing suggested. “Have them all funnel through a gate, or something.”

“Ruffians often act up because they are hungry, or sick, or dirty,” Map suggested. “Maybe you could establish a way to clean them?”

“A gatehouse or something,” Mallow murmured thoughtfully. “To clean them? Hmm.” She started thoughtfully off into the distance. 

I am sure you know what she was thinking about, dear reader. But be quiet about it for now - a good author lets their characters come up with things in their own time, and a good reader lets them. 

In time, every drop and crumb was swallowed, and the trio sat around the little table talking comfortably. Mallow looked at the dear face of Map, then the cheerfully grinning expression of the Green Wind.

 _I could get used to this,_ she thought quietly. _Maybe everything will be well after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the tea party is over! I'm sorry that was so short, but I do have more ideas for this story, so stay subscribed! But they're still quite vague and unwritten, so the chapter count won't be updated yet.
> 
> Also, I discovered that the artist S,J, Tucker composed an album called Wonders that is directly about The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland... ! My favourite songs are Glashtyn Shanty, and Not the Villian. Suffice to say, much of this chapter was written while listening to the album. I would encourage everyone to go check it out, especially if you like these books!


	4. Story Update

No new chapter for today, but I wanted to drop in and announce that, instead of adding a bunch of unrelated chapters to this work, I have created a series for my stories set in the Fairyland universe! They will likely focus mainly around Mallow, so keep an eye on that if you like what I'm writing. I will also continue to update this story as I am inspired, and it will center around Map and Mallow's relationship. This story has been added to my new series, as well as a pre-queen Mallow story I wrote today.


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